I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 158
Alone in his bedroom, Ricardo silently replayed the conversation with Valerio in his mind. Valerio had expressed suspicions about Durante’s movements.
‘The Emperor had been ill recently, but on that day, he was in stable condition. But suddenly, he passed away in the early hours of the morning, and that doesn’t sit right with me.’
‘Are you suspecting poisoning? Are there any suspects?’
‘There are those in the Empire who are too greedy. You know it, I know it.’
Ricardo naturally thought of one person as he rubbed his temples.
Durante Adalberto.
He was the one who had relentlessly sent assassins to Valerio and was the only one with the motive to poison the Emperor. There was no one else with that level of greed.
‘But why?’
Ricardo furrowed his brow. Durante had benefited greatly as the Emperor’s close friend. He had secured the monopoly on lily sales because of their connection.
What could Durante gain by killing the Emperor?
Knock, knock.
A cautious knock interrupted his thoughts. Ricardo, with his sharp eyes fixed on the door, heard a familiar voice.
“Your Grace, Princess Mirabel is looking for you. Prince Charles would like to see you.”
“Let’s go.”
Ricardo relaxed his guard at Sophie’s words and opened the door. As he stepped into the hallway, he began to organize his tangled thoughts.
“Mirabel, Charles.”
After reaching Mirabel’s quarters, Ricardo’s gaze, softened by a gentle smile, began to tremble.
“Charles!”
Ricardo rushed to the bed with a pale face.
Charles was lying on the wide bed, his cheeks flushed bright red. He seemed to be burning with fever.
“Uncle Woollf…”
Charles, who was lying in Mirabel’s care, struggled to open his eyes and call out to Ricardo.
His long black lashes fluttered, and his blue eyes, now glassy with tears, revealed themselves.
“Hhng…”
As their eyes met, Charles’ jaw trembled and he started to sob. His fever was clearly making him uncomfortable, and tears flowed from his eyes.
“Huh, hnng…”
Tears, like glass beads, rolled down his flushed cheeks. Ricardo gritted his teeth.
Watching the child suffer felt like his heart was being torn apart.
Not only that, but his hands and feet were shaking, and his head was spinning.
He didn’t know what to do. His mind, which had been filled with the conversation with Valerio just moments ago, had gone blank.
“Charles…”
He should comfort the child, but his voice wavered weakly in his throat.
When Ricardo gently reached out to Charles, a small hand emerged from the blanket. Charles grasped Ricardo’s second finger, breathing in short, ragged gasps.
“Unclee, Charles sick…”
At Charles’s plea, Ricardo’s eyes immediately burned with emotion. He looked at the small hand holding his finger, and his chest rose and fell sharply with the force of his breath.
Ricardo took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
If he used healing magic, the fever would go down immediately.
So…
“Hold on, Charles.”
Ricardo was about to cast the magic on Charles, but a look of frustration crossed his face.
With Charles holding onto his hand, it was difficult to cast the spell.
His breathing grew heavier in panic. It wasn’t a big deal. If one hand didn’t work, he could use the other.
Even knowing this, he felt suffocated.
‘What do I do? How do I do this?’
His thoughts kept breaking off. It felt like he had become an idiot, sitting there, staring at the sick child.
“Grand Duke.”
Ricardo, who was breathing heavily while watching Charles, heard a calm voice enter his ears.
As he turned his head, with bloodshot eyes, Mirabel came into view.
“Mirabel, Charles…”
“I know. Calm down.”
Mirabel, who was watching him, showed him the vial she had in her hand.
Ricardo, still staring blankly at the orange liquid inside the glass bottle, listened to her speak.
“It’s the same as last time. His fever spiked suddenly, so I gave him the medicine Ugo gave me. After a nap, he should be fine.”
As Ricardo listened to her explanation, his heart began to return to its normal rhythm. He sat down weakly on the bed, letting out a long breath.
“…I’m relieved.”
Ricardo roughly rubbed his face with his still trembling hand.
It was a relief that Charles was okay, but his shocked heart wouldn’t calm down easily.
He had been so terrified. It felt as though he had just come out of a hellish fire. Even in battle, he had never been so panicked.
‘Was Mirabel feeling this way back then?’
Suddenly, Ricardo recalled the moment he had taken the vial from her.
At that time, he had ordered the servants to leave the mansion, intending to secretly watch over Charles.
A rash action stemming from a fleeting thought, leaving Mirabel alone to search the mansion for help with the sick child.
Later, when she discovered it was Ricardo’s orders, she had been furious.
At that time, he had been too focused on calming her anger. He hadn’t realized the full extent of what he had done wrong.
He had just assumed that he had upset her again because of his selfishness.
But it wasn’t such a simple matter.
He had caused Mirabel heart-wrenching pain, and hadn’t fully understood how irresponsible it was to only say he was sorry.
‘No wonder Mirabel must have gotten tired of me.’
Of course. Ricardo was selfish, extreme, and shameless.
As he withdrew his hand from his face, Ricardo’s gaze landed on Mirabel.
He watched her as she gently wiped the sweat off Charles’s forehead, now peacefully asleep. His throat tightened.
“…I…”
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